Ore feed-mixer and distributer.



L. T. SICKA.

ORE FEED MIXER AND DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1912. 1,047,551 Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

INVENIOR.

Laws 7"- Szc/ra' ATTORNEY.

VITNESSES:

y L. T. SIOKA.

ORE FEED MIXER AND DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION I ILED APR.15, 1912.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L V VENTO R. 00/5 7 Sac/(a H M WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

L. T. SICKA.

ORE FEED MIXER AND DISTRIBUTEB.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1912.

1. ,O47,31 6, I Patented Dec. 1'7, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES: IVVEVTOR.

A TTORNEY.

LOUIS '1'. SIGKA, 0F TOOELE, UTAH.

I ORE FEED-MIXER AND DISTRIBUTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed. April 15, 1912. Serial No. 690,919.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, LOUIS T. SIOKA, citizen of the United States, residing at Tooele, in the county of Tooele and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore Feed-Mixers and Distributers, of which. the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements .in ore feed-mixers and distributers, and it consists in the novel details of construction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the apparatus, with parts in section; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan with parts broken; Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse enlarged sectional detail on the zigzag line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a top plan of the chute proper, and portions of the supporting girders 0r angle-beams therefor; and Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the apparatus, or a View looking .to the right of Fig. 1.

The present invention is particularly directed to apparatus for mixing, feeding and distributing crushed ore to the traveling grates of sintering apparatus where,it is eminently desirable to have the sintered mass as homogeneous as possible throughout, and to turn out a uniform product. In the sintering apparatus referred to, the draft through the ore and its supporting grates is usually from top down, that is to say, it is a downward burning process, the sintering proceeding from the upper layers progressively downward through the mass until the entire charge is sintered. It is important therefore, that the mixture entering into the composition of the sinter charge shall be maintained as uniform and homogeneous as possible, the coarser particles being intimately mixed with the finer ones, and the whole agglomerating into a mass which shall always be uniform. To secure these results, the raw ore-charge must be mixed, and fed so as to be evenly distributed across the feed-chute leading .to the sinteringgrates and be evenly; deposited on said grates; and it is theobject of my invention to secure such uniformity of feed and distribution as it is possible to attain with material of the character here treated.

The invention in detail may be described as follows :Referring to the drawings, 1 represents an endless feed-beltpassing over a pulley or roller 2 (the opposite end of the belt not being shown) from which the crushed ore, (including fine and coarse material) is discharged into a hollow inverted conical frustum or hopper?) which in turn discharges the material over the apex of a conical spreader 4.. The hopper 3 is secured to the vertical structural members or posts A by means of channel brackets 5, the horizontal legs of which support the bearings 6 of the pulley '2. The hopper 3 is vertically adjustable to and from the cone 4, such adjustment being effected in any suitable mechanical manner, but in the present instance the same -is accomplished through the medium of adjusting screws 7 carried by the inner vertical legs of the brackets 5 and operating through vertical slots 8 in the straps 8 by which the hopper is secured to the brackets. The axes of the hopper 3 and cone 4 are coincident, that is to say, the conical surfaces aredescribed about a common vertical axis whereby the members 3 and 4 become axially superposed. The spreader 4 is preferably secured by straps 9 to a second inverted frusto-conical hopper 10 over which it is likewise axially superposed, the material we flowing over the cone 4L discharging into said hopper 10. In the present case two hoppers and one spreader are illustrated, but any number of alternating conical hoppers and conical spreaders is contemplated by my invention, and I do not wish to be-limited to. the number constituting the series. The hopper 10 is likewise susceptible of vertical adjustment by meansof screws 7 passed through slots s of the hangers or straps 9' which secure the hopper to the brackets 5' carried by the posts A.

The hopper 1O discharges the material into the intake end of a bent chute 11 hinged at h to the hinge rod 7' mounted between thehorizontal structural members 12 (Fig. 2) below the floor F, the chute passing through an opening 0 in said floor. The hinging of the chute admits of its accurate adjustment relative to the angle of repose of the material flowing down the chute, so that the rate of flow of the material may be regulated. The adjustment is effected by the nuts n on the suspension bolts 13-pivotally secured at their lower ends to the sides the chute, the upper ends of the bolts passing loosely through the cross member 14 of the lower frame, as shown. This .manner of adjustment is a well known exnal horizontal bentportions 20 of the straps 17 and resting on the structural members 14, the straps 17 being provided with elongated slots 5" through which the securing screws 21 pass, the screws holding the straps firmly to the beams 14. The hopper 15 is further braced by a bent bar 22 whose ends are secured to the vertical structural members 23. To loosen the material (should the same adhere to the chute walls, or hopper walls) I employ suitable steam, mechanical or pneumatic, or electrically driven) tappets or knockers T of any approved design positioned where most convenient and secured in any suitable mechanical manner. The knocker or striker is here shown only conventionally, and per se is not claimed herein. The impacts of the knocker will loosen the material and cause it to flow freely, in the event it manifest-s any tendency to stick by reason of moisture or for any. other reason.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the fluent material, be it crushed ore, rock 'or any substance whatsoever, as it flows through and over the series of conical hoppers and spreaders into the chute 11 will become thoroughly mixed, the coarse and fine particles being homogeneously disposed throughout the mass by the time they reach the upper intake or receiving end of the chute. At the upper end of the chute is disposed a segment of a cone 24, the segment being formed by a plane cutting a cone through the apex and base of the cone, the plane wall of such segment being positioned adjacent the chute bottom, and the apex of the segment pointing upward or in opposition to the direction of flow of the material, and being directly in the path of discharge from the hopper 10. The conical peripheral surface of the segment 24 initially receives the homogeneous material from the hopper 10, and spreads it laterally the full width of the chute, so that an equalization or even.

distribution of the material across the chute results. This width of the sheet of descending material is maintained even after it leaves the deflecting ".plate 16 and the dis-.

charge mouth of the hopper 15. The hopper 15 delivers the material onto a series of traveling sintering grates G well known in the art, which thusreceives the charge of ore (where oreis sintered) in an even sheet or layer across the grates, and the piling thereof at the center or other points ist avoided. The distributing and equalizing action of the segment 24'is therefore important, since by means of it the charge is spread across the entire width of the chute 11, and from the latter delivered in a wide sheet onto the grates Gr. Obviously any adj ustment of lIlCllllfttlOIl imparted to the chute 11 will be participated in by the equalizer or spreader 24. The even distribution of the material 127. over the grates Gr results in a uniform sintered mass of blocks, such uniform blocks being at the same time homogeneous as to composition by reason of the thorough mixing of the particles in their passage through and over the conical hoppers and spreaders respectively.

The term cone, conical, frustum of a cone and the like here employed are not'to be considered in their strict geometric sense, it being within .the contemplation of my invention to include pyramidal and frustopyramidal formations, and equivalent converging and diverging surfaces, the true cone formations being however, preferred.

Obviously too, the mixing, feeding and distributing apparatus here described is not to be restricted in its application to the treatment of heterogeneous ore particles any description is to be treated for any purpose whatsoever. Mechanical details here illustrated but not referred to, fall within the purview of the skilled mechanic, and a description thereof would be superfluous. For example, the frame work composed of structural members or angle irons, I-beams and the like is illustrated in a manner well understood in the art and needs no description in this connection.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combination with a feed-chute for delivering fluent material, a conical formation on' the chute in the path of flow of the material, the apex of the cone pointing in a direction opposite to the direction of flow of the material, and means for delivering the material over the apex of the conical formation.

2. In combination with a feed-chute for delivering fluent material, a formation having a distributing surface raised above the chute bottom and bounded by sides diverging from a common apex over which the mimic material is initially discharged, the material flowing along, and spreading laterally across, the formation and being thereby distributed across the chute.

3. In combination with a feed-chute for delivering fluent material, a conical formation on the chute in the path of flow of the material, the apex of the cone pointing in a direction opposite to the direction of flow of the material, whereby the latter is distributed across the chute.

4. In combination with a feed-chute for deliveringfluent material, a formation havinga distributing surface raised above the chute bottom, over which surface the material is caused to flow and spread laterally to the general direction of flow of the material along the chute, whereby the material is caused to be distributed across the chute.

5. In combination with a feed-chute fordelivering fluent material, a member comprising a segment of a cone cut by a plane through the apex and the base, mounted on the chute bottom with the plane face of the segment adjacent said bottom and the apex pointing in the direction from which the material is flowing over said member, the base of the segment being disposed across the chute, for the purpose set. forth.

6. In combination with a chute, a formation raised above the chute bottom and presenting a surface converging toward an apex disposed in the plane of said bottom, means for feeding material over said apex, the chute being inclined at the proper angle to cause the material to flow over said formation and along the chute.

LOUIS T. SICKA.

Witnesses II. N. Thomson, "0. M. KUoHs. 

